UK release date for The BFG film

Entertainment One to bring Britain's favourite giant back when Roald Dahl's The BFG comes to the big screen on July 22, 2016

Entertainment One are delighted to announce a July 22, 2016 UK release date for the new feature film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s universally loved classic The BFG, directed by Steven Spielberg.

First published in 1982, The BFG - one of Roald Dahl’s most iconic books with its memorable illustrations by Quentin Blake - was recently voted amongst the top 10 children’s books of the past 150 years. 2016 will also mark the centenary of Roald Dahl’s birth.

Legendary film director Steven Spielberg will direct the new adaptation with Melissa Mathison, who last worked with Spielberg on ET, writing the script. Frank Marshall and Spielberg will produce the film and Kathleen Kennedy, John Madden and Michael Siegel are on board as executive producers. The BFG will be a DreamWorks Studios and Amblin Entertainment production.

Alex Hamilton, Managing Director eOne says: “The world’s number one storyteller in books, the world’s number one storyteller in film, come together in the centenary year of Roald Dahl’s birth for the film of the summer. The BFG has caught our golden phizzwizard and is set to deliver it into the hearts and minds of everyone in the UK in 2016. This will be a GIANT film in every sense of the word.”

“It is fitting that the UK is the first international country to announce the date of The BFG, a story that sprang from the imagination of this proud son from Wales,” said Steven Spielberg. “We at DreamWorks Studios hope our film will add to Roald Dahl’s prolific legacy of entertainment.”

Luke Kelly, Roald Dahl’s grandson and MD of the Roald Dahl Literary Estate, says: “We are so thrilled and excited at this collaboration between two storytelling giants - Roald Dahl and Steven Spielberg. The fact that Steven is bringing one of my grandfather’s best-loved stories and characters to the big screen in the middle of the year in which we will celebrate Roald Dahl’s Centenary is even more fantastic."

Roald Dahl has sold 200million books worldwide, 37million of these in the UK. The film adaptations of his books have grossed over £65million at the UK box office.